Diabolik Love Triangle
by HowDoIMakeTheWords10101
Summary: Shu Sakamaki has been friends with Yuma Mukami for a long, long time. But for nearly as long, Shu had wanted to be much more. Unfortunately, it seemed Shu's wish will never be filled, as Yuma and Reiji grow closer to one another each passing day. Who will earn the honor of being "more than just friends"? Read to find out!


Shu pulled out his phone for the fifteenth time in ten minutes. Immediately going to check if he had returned his text. It wasn't like it was anything important. No one was dying. No one was hurt. No one was even in duress. It was a simple, inconsequential invitation to hang out, nothing to get so worked up over. Still, Shu found himself waiting on baited breath for a response.

Unfortunately, Yuma still hadn't texted back. With a sigh, he tried placing the phone back in his pocket, when suddenly a familiar 'ding' rang out, cutting through the silence and agonizing wait time like a sword through flesh. He brought the phone back in front of his eyes, and smiled softly at seeing his friend's icon light up with the indication of a message. He opened it.

'I'm on my way!' It said.

Shu's fingers twitched against the keyboard thinking of an appropriate response. Would "I'm looking forward to seeing you" be too forward? But "K" might swing too far the other direction. Since when did texting his best friend become such a nerve-wracking activity?

'You're just being foolish,' he told himself,'It's just a text. Just type. Type anything.'

But just as he gained the nudge of confidence needed to respond, the door to his room swung open. He turned his gaze towards the intruder, an all too familiar face when it came to barging into places he was unwanted. His face was obscured by the darkness of the room, his back lit up by the hallway lights, but his posture gave away who it was. No one else in the household stands up that straightly.

"Shu, for the last time I am asking you politely NOT to leave your laundry in a pile at the door. We have a hamper for a reason. Use it!"

"What part of that was either a request or polite?"

"The part where I didn't poison your food tonight at dinner."

Shu smirked. "Fair enough."

The elder brother turned onto his side, choosing to face the empty wall of his bedroom, rather than the irritated face of Reiji, as he continued to lecture. Their relationship had improved as of late, but some things never changed. Namely, Shu didn't like being told what to do, and Reiji liked nothing more than telling people what to do. It was just bad luck that Shu was the main target of his demands. He listened on and off for a few minutes before remembering what task Reiji had interrupted. He grabbed his phone and went to the texting app. But in between now and the last time his fingers were against the keyboard, he had forgotten what to type. He now faced the same problem of figuring out the perfect message to respond with, mixed with the new annoyance of at one time having it, only to have it slip away from his mind due to circumstance. As he pondered he saw a gloved hand reached in front of his face and pull the phone away.

"Reiji!"

"I am speaking with you, and I would appreciate if you gave me your undivided attention. It's only polite."

"Polite is not grabbing my property out of my hands."

"Polite is not leaving your laundry every place in the house but the hamper."

"Polite is not trying to barging into my room to order me around!"

"Polite is doing your chores, so I don't have to waste my time ordering you around!"

They went back and forth like that for a while. Voices growing louder and squabbles growing more and more childish. Eventually, it grew to the point where they ceased talking about the matter at hand, choosing instead to pull back on past grievances and ad hominem. It became less of an altercation about laundry and more of a ranting session of all the little annoyances the brothers had with one another. It might've carried on like that forever had it not been for a third party entering the scene.

"Polite is greeting a guest when he arrives. Am I right?" The voice beamed.

The other two voices were silenced as the third rang out, finally putting an end to the disagreement. They each turned to see who had come between them. Despite having walked into the middle of a brotherly spat, the figure didn't seem bothered at all. He had traveled all this way to spend time with his friend, and he wouldn't let anything prevent his fun. His posture was relaxed and a big, toothy grin was plastered across his face, as though he had been met with his favorite food and not a heated argument. He wasn't the type of man to let discourse bother him and always worked on trying to de-escalate a situation, especially one so common as the two oldest Sakamaki brothers having a spat.

"So what is it this time?" Yuma asked with a grin.

Embarrassed, the foes took a turn presenting their argument. When they were done, Yuma's suspicions were confirmed. It was just as silly as the last thing they fought about. With a smile and a sigh he leaned against the doorframe and flicked on the light switch. The room filled with a blinding light, causing the brothers to squint and shield their eyes until the pupils adjusted. Yuma made the comment that maybe now they could see how silly they were being. Rejii rolled his eyes, and Shu looks away in disdain for being correctly called out.

Yuma then took a turn towards diplomacy, seeking not only to put an end to the issue at hand, but also to return the brothers to amicable terms. It was a risky offer, but what's life without a little risk? He opened his mouth and suggested Reiji stay to watch the movie with them. Both brothers expressed disgust at the thought.

"Well, I don't see why not,"Yuma chimed,"Aren't you two getting along better these days?"

"We're still brothers," they said in union, alluding to the stereotype that siblings rarely get along. Yuma scoffed at this notion, having his own experience with family that disproved the blanket statement. He continued to argue that perhaps some quality time together might dissipate some of the tension between them, but they argued that more time together might only worsen the situation. Strangely enough, as the conversation drew on, Shu seemed more fervent in arguing their side than Reiji. Quite uncommon for a man who so rarely puts effort into anything. When Yuma questioned his unique fervor, Shu nervously played with his bangs, pulling them over his eyes before answering the question.

"It...It was supposed to be a movie night for...friends..." he choked out.

Yuma moved closer to their side of the room, slinging an arm over Reiji's shoulders. Both brothers jittered uncomfortably at the sudden contact. Yuma pushed his luck even more, as he pulled Reiji closer until their heads knocked together. He smiled.

"Well, Reiji's my friend! Aren't cha?"

Red eyes widened at the insinuation. For a moment, he remained uncomposed, but this was quickly rectified. His shoulders relaxed, and he nodded begrudgingly in agreement.

"I suppose so..."

"See Shu? It's still a friends night!"

Shu muttered an insult under his breath. How blind could Yuma be? It wasn't supposed to be a friends night either...But seeing the wide grin on his face and Reiji seemingly calm enough, he gave in to the demand. He let out a begrudging agreement. Reiji could stay.

Yuma pumped his fist in the air in victory before leaping onto the bed, pulling Reiji with him. The three shifted until each found a comfortable spot to sit on for the duration of the movie. Shu huddled to the side with pillows, seeking the extra comfort and a get-out-of-the-situation-free-card if the situation proved too bothersome for consciousness. Reiji sat upright at the opposite end of the bed, pushed against the hard, wooden bed frame, the top of it digging into his ribs. Yuma took up the remaining space, sandwiched between the two of them.

The movie was already in the DVD player, so once the three got comfortable Shu was simply able to grab the remote and start the movie. Even if the company left something to be desired, the film was no doubt enjoyable. Shu got to enjoyed an exaggerated biopic about a musical genius. Reiji got to enjoy the plot against him. Yuma was just happy to hang out with his friends, a sentiment the other two struggled to share. Even as the picture burned through half of its nearly three-hour runtime, the two had yet to loosen up. Yuma sighed, again placing it on himself to rectify this. He slung his arms around either of them and pulls them together, each head on one of his shoulders.

"What is the mean of this?!" Reiji shouted, as he struggled to escape from Yuma's grasp. But Yuma proved much too strong for him. Reiji soon felt another bit of unwanted contact, as Yuma used his hand to rub to his arm in an attempt to calm the fussy, raven-haired man.

"Relax. If you were human you'd have a heart attack. For fuck sake, you're around friends."

"I never asked for this."

"That's the fun part about friends. You don't have to ask for them to want to help you calm the FUCK down. Haha!"

"...Hmph."

Reiji resigned himself to Yuma's one-armed embraced, knowing he wouldn't win an argument against such a stubborn opponent. Besides, it wasn't often he was held by anyone...Not that he wanted to be held in the first place, his brain assured him.

Shu made no fuss about being held. Yuma assumed it was because Shu had already used the day's strength making his argument against Reiji, but that wasn't the case. Shu simply didn't have qualms about the situation. He welcomed his friends muscled arm around him, binding him against his chest, welcoming him to feel the warmth of his embrace. He only wished he could have two arms around him, wish he didn't have to share the affection with his brother, wish he could have Yuma to himself. But despite those wishes the situation was comfortable enough, too comfortable in fact. Yuma was right about one thing. Shu had used a good deal of his energy.

Soon he found himself paying less and less attention to the movie, choosing to focus on the sensory experience of Yuma's arm around him, choosing to breathe in the scent of earth that always lingered around his best friends, no doubt coming from all the time spent in his garden, and finally choosing to close his eyes. Though perhaps that last action was less of a choice and more a consequence of feeling so utterly warm and at peace, that the mind couldn't resist drifting to rest.

He didn't know how long he was asleep. Though from his surroundings found when he woke up, there were a few things he could surmise. The movie was over. The DVD player and television had been shut. His guests had left him to sleep. Someone had been nice enough to tuck him into his covers. He supposed that meant Yuma had gone home. He frowned up at his ceiling. The day hadn't at all gone how he wanted.

He got into a fight with his brother. Yuma saw him arguing about something as silly as laundry. Reiji had intruded upon his alone time and stuck around to ruin his movie night as well. He didn't even get to finish the movie.

Though as he sulked in his depressive thoughts a memory flashed into his mind: a warm arm around cradling him against a broad chest. And as that memory came before him, he suddenly decided that perhaps the day hadn't been a complete waste after all.

As his thoughts turned to greener pastures, he felt a new sensation, less emotional and more biological. His stomach grumbled, reminding him of the fact he hadn't eaten since lunch. He had planned to gather popcorn for the movie, but that plan had been sidetracked by his argument with Reiji. And once Yuma had his arm around him, he had abandoned all thoughts of getting up from the bed. But with all that over he could finally whip up something to eat and quiet the rumblings of his gullet. He got out of bed and head towards the kitchen.

Tiredly, he stumbled across the many hallways separated his room from the dining hall, half-heartedly hoping Reiji had stored away some dinner leftovers so he wouldn't have to start a meal from scratch. If that were the case, he'd probably just wait until breakfast.

As he came closer and closer to his destination, he began to hear voices, presumably his brothers who had the same idea of a midnight snack, well, a noon snack as the case may be. He was nocturnal after all. However, the voices grew louder and the assumption they belonged to his brothers began to be unworkable. The voice didn't sound like any of his brothers.

No. Wait.

One of them did, but not the other? Who could the stranger be then? A few steps further towards the door, and the question was answered. It was Yuma...But what could he be doing here so late? Who was he talking to? Curiosity won the fight over bravery, so Shu chose to be sneaky. He pressed his ear against the door without entering the kitchen, shamefully eavesdropping on his friend, just beginning to let out a hearty laugh.

"It's just laundry!"

"It is not just laundry!" claimed the other voice, whom Shu could now identify as Reiji.

"It's...It's really just laundry, dude."

"It is a task I ask him to accomplish, and he continues to disrespect me by not fulfilling it. It is an insult."

"It's laund-"

Shu couldn't see. But by the abrupt silence he could tell Reiji had given Yuma one of his trademarked glares of disapproval.

"Okay...So...Maybe it's not just laundry...At least to you."

"Thank you."

"You know I could talk to him if you want. Maybe convince him to help out a little more."

"You really don't have to do that...You didn't have to do anything today." Suddenly his voice grew a bit softer. "I could've handled my own disagreements, and I certainly could've handled eating dinner alone. I've done it before when my brothers go out. I could've done it again."

Yuma sighed.

"How many times do I gotta tell ya before you listen? Friends don't do stuff cuz they have to. They do it cuz they want to."

A prolonged silence filled the room. Shu could sense the tension from the other side of the door. He thought about breaking the tension, as Yuma had done for him earlier in the day, but his legs seemed unable to move. His fingers refused to press harder against the door to swing it open. Most strongly of all, his mind refused to prevent itself from learning what Reiji's response would be.

It was Reiji's voice that interrupted the quiet. "And you most definitely do not have to keep pretending we're friends."

"The fuck are ya talking about?"

"I know that you're kind to me, because Shu is my brother. You don't need to pretend we're all buddy-buddy,"he said with disdain,"just because he's your best friend. I don't need to be treated with kindness out of courtesy. Though I do appreciate the effort..."

Shu couldn't make out what he said after that. His voice trailed off into nothingness. Not even Yuma, who was a good deal closer, could make out what was said. That left only Reiji with the knowledge of his words...

'...I don't deserve your kindness...'

Yuma stared at Reiji for a moment, wondering how to continue the conversation. He could be so stubborn sometimes, but then again, so could Yuma. He wasn't about to give up just because he was being difficult.

"Yeah well, I don't need that bullshit of yours either."

"Excuse me?"

"If I wanted to be an asshole to you, I wouldn't give a fuck if Shu was my friend. I'd let you know I thought you were an asshole. But I don't. I mean, you can certainly be an asshole. Now's a pretty good example of that, but you're still my friend. So suck it the fuck up and accept that I like you. Besides, I know you like me too. You must think pretty highly of me if you think I give a shit about that manners and courtesy shit you're always going on about."

Yuma smiled and took a sip of the tea his host had been nice enough to provide. Reiji was at a loss of words for once. He could rebuttle insults and accusations all day long, but he wasn't used to being met with such pleasant, revolting sincerity. He really hated to admit it, but he had lost two arguments in Yuma in a single day. How unfortunate.

"All right," he muttered, just barely loud enough to hear,"Then we're friends."

"Sounds good to me, pal."

In the kitchen, it seemed as though all was right as rain again. A new friendship, at least newly official, had blossomed in the tepid but viable climate of the Sakamaki household. Yet outside the kitchen door, was a less pleasant scenario. Something about those words 'I like you...I know you like me too' put a knot in Shu's stomach. A heavy, fiery rock that burned through his insides and weighed him down had found its way into Shu Sakamaki. He didn't like those words, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why. A friendship between his brother and his best friend seem benign, at least on paper. So why did he hate the idea of Yuma making a new friend?

Well, he didn't hate it, he rationalized. He was just tired. That was it. Tired. He decided to go back to his room and sleep off the feelings of the rock in his gullet. It had replaced any feelings of hunger he had. Now he just wanted to sleep. Sleep and perhaps dream of the memory of Yuma's arm him. Food could wait until tomorrow. Such a pleasant dream took precedent. And perhaps, if he was lucky, he would dream of both Yuma's arm around him. Reiji would be absent. Yes, what a pleasant dream that would make.


End file.
